Gas tester



' Nov. 27 1923.

T. R. ERNEST GAS TESTER 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15 Ill LILY MMM/f Patented NOV. Z7, 1923.

.Y usually broke the test tubes employedsuch UNITED sTAIEsf "-PAIEANT OFFICE.

vriiHoMAS REUBEN ERNEST, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOCIIICAGO APPARATUS Co., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION. v

Application ined May v 15,

v To all 'whom t may concern: j

Be it Vknown that I, THOMAS R. ERNEsT,.

lthe' electric mechanism;

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and

State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Gas Testers, of which thev following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in gas testers, and more, pareV 'stopper or closing member on the pipette, v yShowing the vent or discharge opening thereticularly to the typeof testers employed where the combustion method of testing is used. l

With the devices heretofore employed for testing gases by the use of the combustion' method, explosions were frequently caused by the burning of impurities in such gases, and the expansive force .of such explosion tubes being generally made of thin glass.

It is my object to provide a gas tester.l which will not become broken by theexplo; sion of such burning impurities, but in which the expansive force of such impurities will be taken upV and vgradually dissipated through the use of interconnected chambers and a. fluid medium freely movable therein.

Another object is to provide means for cooling the combustion chamber, preferably by providing a'water jacket around saidchamber, in view of which a far greater temperature may be used in testing the gas.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. x

, The invention will be best 'understoodby reference to the accompanying 'drawingsl` forming a part fof'this specification, and in which, Fig. 1, is an elevational view ofthe device showing the arrangement and' `condi tion of the members before the test gas is admitted, all air being excluded from the burette and pipette and the connecting conduits' i Figi. 2, is'anr elevational view of my de'- i vice showing the arrangement ofthe mem bers during the second step, with a rdefinite quantity of test gas drawn into theburette or graduated container; A Fig. 3, is an elevational view showing the gas moved into the pipette or 'combustion chamber, by the fluid in the burette and 'coin 1922.11' vserial No.`v sanita. l

Fg. 4, 'sfa partial view similar to Fig.

2 showi'ii'gthe treated gasreturned into the i burettep'rA graduated container, minus the 'impurities removed therefrom during the combustion.process,and` Y l Fig. '5, is a top View of the removable "thick glass about one-eighth vinch in cross section, and having a contracted low-er por- "tion, 11 with the final numbers of the scale thereon to'provide aclose graduation of the Vgasduring the test. The. upper end ofsaid containeris formed into a c'ontracted neck 12 provided with a two-way valve 13, while an intake spoutjlly `and a connecting pipe 15V extend fromfsaid valve. A cylindrical tube vor housing l-encloses said .vburette or Von neck 12 andcl'oses the upper end of said tube, while a similar stopper 18 isfirmly ing member 20 surrounds the extension 19 'and bears beneath stopper 18 to support said tubev and container, said member 20 being .clamped to the vertical'shaft 21 of a suitable Supporting stand by means of a suitablev'thu'mb screw, 'or the like, and a suitable holding member 22embraces the upper y"gp'art of tube 16 and is fastened on said shaft Container, and a stopper 17, of rubber or ,similar suitable material, is loosely mounted 21 by a thumb screw or in any suitable man Vvner. A flexible tube Or hose 23 connects extension 19 with a leveling bulb 24 which may be supported in an upper bracket 25 or iii 2a lower bracket 25, as the case Vmay require, bothbrackets being adjlustably fastened on shaft 21. The tube 16 will belilled with a cold fluid, as wate`r,to' provide cooling means for the burette and for they gases returned therein from the Apipette or comb-us- Vtion chamber after the combustion of said gases*v y If further provide my. container with a water-jacketed combustion .ch-amber which end open and in constant communication with a cylindrical glass tubeori housing 27 1,'

which surrounds the pipette, a stopper 28' being firmly mounted inthe lower 'end of said tube vand seated on a supporting, member 29, which is adj ustably fastened on shaft 21 by a, suitable thumb screw, whilea holding or retaining member 30 embraces 'the upper end of said v`tube and is adjustably fastened on shaft 21. A stopper '31 is loosely seated-in the upperend ofytube 27 and .contains a vent or.dischargelopening, 32 to permit thezesca'peof expanded ,.fluid, Vand a neck 33 is formed ontheupper end.l

l q loosely l,

` v.turned torfclosed position Vand ythe Aelectric of the pipette, which eXtendsr i through an opening y.in said stojpperln, per?,

mitting said stopper to move upwardsfrom said tube when considerable expansivefforcg is ldeveloped .in the combustion `chamber orr A' curved pipe 34ish5connected to.r vtheneck 33Vand' to the pipe y15.7by means of pipette.

short pieces of flexible tubing 35 and 36.

i l The means forv heating thevgases -vin the;`v CombustionV chamber comprises a large solid.. nickeleleetrode'38firmly mountediin stop-v per 28, and a thin platinum wire V 40 ,is attached to the curved upper end 39 `of said, nickel electrode. p A wire 41 iscoiled.around-` the electrode 38v and has'a curvedl portion 42 for enga ging the inner. wall of the` pipette to Y Y, andescape freely, thereby preventing any breakage of the combustion chamber or retain the electrodes incposition.. therein.

set screws, and carry` set screws'48and 49 for attaching said membersvto, electric :wiresf v and 51 connected with l-fasuitalole source Vof electricity 52.- `,Suitable coveringtubesn. 53 and 54 are provided-around the. members 38 and 44respectively.

In use the tester is mounted on'a suitable or graduated container10 'andthe-pipette or vcombustion chamber 26 and theiconduitsy connecting the same, byillingsaid burette, f

conduits, and pipette, and partlyiiilling vthe leveling bulb 24 connected to the bur.4

rette by means of the hosei23,f and propeny manipulation of the valve 13, thepleveling bulb being then supportedindts elevated..

position and the parts beingy arranged as shown in Fig.

test, `as 4.indicated `in they watenin thecontracted portion 11of the 1. The intake spout.;14 is fthereafter connected' with theycontainer of,` the gastorbe tested,and thegvalve turned to -pos'ition shown `in`Fig. 2, at the 'same time the leveling bulb 'is lowered, as shown in said figure, whereby the water descends in the container and a definitey quantityof gas is 'drawn into said container, substantially as 'indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The

valve is then` turnedy into thepositionl shown in- Fig. .3, while the leveling bulb is again placed in its elevated position, as shown in said Fig. 3, whereupon the water rises in the burette and forces the gas through the conhecting conduit34 into the pipette or combustion chamber, thereby forcing the water out-of the open lower'` end of said chamber mciirrentturned. on for several minutes, heat- A'ing "the platinum, electrode Y 40 and burning 'outgthe impurities 'in said gas." Ifduring this'f'combustion test the burning 'of such im- .pUritiesSh-ould ycauselan'i explosion, the eX- pansive'force of such explosion will force thewater orriuidl medium downward in the combustionlchamber 26 and from lit into the surrounding "water-jacket 27, forcing IVthe air above the water, and occasionally A,some of the Q water, out through the vent 32, and if theexplosion `is ,ofa vio-lent character then rtheairV and .water riSingsuddenIy in the .water-,jacket 27.. will lift lthe stopper`31 upany p'artof the gas tester. i After this comb-ustion testl'the gas, minus consumed im- `,pui-ities is returned into the burette ,byturning the valve,f as lindicated inFig'f4, and lowering the leveling bulb vuntil Aalla the gas Yfromfthe,pipette and connecting conduit has been forcedback intothe burette, the height ofthejwater the. buretteandicating the amountof tested gas remaining after removal off/,the impuritiesby said combustion Fig. 4,5by the level of burette.

1 By providing acoolin'g medium orgwaterjacket 'for both 'the burette` and pipette a greaterftemperatufre may bey employed in the combustion test than withl the former des i vices,v since the, water. surrounding the ...pipette will constantlyrcoolthesame and will enable the gases to be returned therefrom: to theburette; at nearly the saine tem- .perature` as ,whentaken from vthe burette,

thus enabling tests to be madein rapid succession without `changing vthe Vwater sur- I.rounding jtheburette, as'was' formerly rei uired at v frequent intervals.

i Y.While I have illustrated anddescribed the preferred form oficonstructionfo'r carrying my invention intoseifect, thisisl capable of -gvariatiom and', modification without departing from 'the spiritofthe invention, I,

Y therefore, do not wish to belimited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as comewithin the scope of the appendedclaims.

yHaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

l. A gas tester comprising means` for measuring gas; means for cooling said measuring means; la combustion chamber; connections between said chamber and measuring means; and means for cooling said chamber and for absorbing any explosive force occurring during the test.

2. YA gas tester comprising means for measuring gas; means for cooling said measuring means; a combustion chamber; connections between said chamber and measuring means; means for cooling said chamber with a fiuid and thereby absorbing eX- plosive force produced by said test; and electric means for causing combustion in said chamber.

3. A tester comprising a graduated container; a water jacket surrounding said container; a combustion chamber; fluid connections between said container and chamber; and a water jacket surrounding said chamber, said combustion chamber and its water jacket being arranged for gradually dissipating explosive force occurring in said chamber.

4. A gas tester comprising a graduated container; cooling means therefor; a chamber for testing said gas; means connecting said chamber and container;felectric means for causing combustion of the gas in said chamber; and a fluid container for cooling said chamber, said container and chamber having communication for dissipating eX- plosive force produced by said test.

5. A gas tester comprising a graduated container; means for cooling said container; a combustion chamber having fluid connection with said container; and a tube surrounding said chamber and having open communication therewith.

6. A gas tester comprising means for measuring gas; means operatively connected thereto for making a combustion test of said gas; and means connected with said test means for absorbing any explosive force occurring during said test.

7. A gas tester comprisingl means for measuring gas; a. combustion chamber operatively connected thereto; and means connected with and surrounding said combustion chamber for dissipating the shock produced by explosion 0f impurities during the test of said gas.

8. A gas testei comprising a combustion chamber; and a fluid chamber having open communication therewith for permitting eX- plosives inv said combustion chamber to eX- pand by moving fluid therefromto prevent breaking of said chamber. s,

9, A gas'tester comprising a combustionA chamber of thick glass and a fluid chamber surrounding the same, said chambers being arranged to have fluid move freely from -one to the other to Vprevent breaking of'- said f chambers by the explosions during the test.

10. A gas tester comprising a combustion chamber; a fluid chamber surrounding the same, said chambers being arranged to vhave fluid move freely from the combustion cham ber to the fluid chamber; and a fluid escape or vent inthe upper part of' said fluid chamber.

11. A gas tester comprising means for making a combustion test of gas; means for cooling Ithe said test means and the enclosed gas; and means for dissipating expansive force caused by explosions in said tester.

. l2. A gas tester comprising'a combustion chamber; a water-jacket surrounding said combustion chamber; fluid communication between the lower part of said jacket and chamber; and a top on said jacket adapted to be opened through the force of explosion in said combustion chamber.

13. A gas tester comprising a combustion chamber; a water-jacket surrounding said;y

combustion chamber; fluidv communication between the combustion chamber and jacket;

and a top on said jacket havin@ a fluidvent and being adapted to be opened by the sudden explosion in the combustion chamber.

14. A gas tes-ter comprising a combustion chamber; a water-jacket surrounding said combustion chamber; fluid communication between the combustion chamber and jacket; atop on said jacket having a fluid vent and being adapted to be opened by the sudden explosion in the combustion chamber; and electric means. for heating said combustion chamber.

15. A gas tester comprising a graduated container; means for cooling said container; a combustion chamber; a water-jacket therefor; fluid connections between said chamber and container; a valve therein; fluid connections between said chamber and its waterjacket; and a bulb and pliable tube for causing fluids te move in said container and chamber.

16. A gas tester comprising a burette provided with an intake anda bulb and hose; a housing surrounding and supporting said bui-ette and adapted to contain a cooling medium; a pipette and fiuidconduit between said burette and said pipette; a wate1jacket for said pipette; fluid connections between said pipette and its water-jacket; electric heating means extending into said pipette;

and means at the top of' said jacket for reV leasing explosive pressure caused in the pipette.

17. The'method of testing gas, which 'lic comprises expelling air from a measuring tube and a Combustion chamber 1by means lora liquid; leading the test gaslinto' said Y measuring tube transferring said gas to saidV V5 chamber by fluid containmgmeans; Con-` Huid containing means to note the vper cent of impurities Consumed.

In testimonyfwhereof I have signed my 'name to thisv specification in the' presence of twol YSubsc"riloing` Witnesses.

THOMAS REUBEN ERNEST.V

Witnesses VFREDA C. APPLETON,V JosHUAHR. H, PoTTs. 

